“I loved all the monuments, but my favorite was the Lincoln Memorial,” said one senior. “I wanted to climb up in his lap and have him tell me stories about the Civil War.”

In addition to visiting monuments, memorials, and museums, students had the opportunity to meet with representatives from U.S. Senator Kamala Harris’s (D-CA) office and interact with other students from around the country.

“The D.C.trip is much further and more involved than any other trip we take at Stanbridge, which is why we only do it every other year,” said Trip Leader Travis Callan. “Studentsare asked to step up and engage the world around them as representatives from their state and country.”

Following the trip, students were asked to reflect on their experiences and what they learned. Take a look at this Google Slides presentation from one high school junior:

On the third Thursday of every month, four Stanbridge high school students don their best, professional garb and travel to SAP offices in Palo Alto for a day of collaborative activities and career focused experiences. There they join students with ASD from two other bay area high schools for lunch in the corporate cafeteria, conversations with executives, and pre-professional, career-focused, skill-building activities.

“I enjoy going to SAP because we learn new and interesting things each month,” said one of the high school seniors in the program. “I like how we prepare for life after Stanbridge by learning what jobs are out there, how to apply, and other life skills.”

Stanbridge is an inaugural member of the SAP Silicon Valley Autism at Work High School Mentoring Pilot Program. A major tech company specializing in enterprise software solutions, SAP (which stands for Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing) launched a global initiative to develop the neurodiversity of their workforce. As part of this initiative, the company is piloting a program that gives high school students with ASD exposure to potential career paths. From presentations and conversations with company executives, to workshops about personal branding and online presence; from building and design challenges led by SAP designers, to mock interviews, students develop a greater comfort in professional environments.

While Stanbridge’s 11th and 12th grade students ventured across the continent on their biennial experiential learning trip to Washington D.C., high school freshmen and sophomore students embarked on a week-long interdisciplinary research project. Students were broken into five groups—fondly referred to aspods—andengaged in project-based, hands-on learning related to topics they are studying in class. Working individually or in pairs, students documented the salient points of their topics in Google Slides presentations, which they shared with their peers at the end of the week.

Additionally, each pod was responsible for creating a dish to share with the group for lunch on Friday. Taking ownership of each step of the process, students researched recipes, shopped for groceries, and prepared their dishes.

Take a look at the students’ work below to learn more about each group’s research topics: ​

Native American Pod:Students in the Native American Pod readThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indianin John's 9th Grade English Literature class. For their presentations, they had opportunity to choose a topic and research something related to Native American culture. Over the course of the week they explored the Art of the Americas exhibit at thede Young Museumin San Francisco and chose to make fry bread for Friday's shared H.S. lunch. ​

Broadcasting class, an elective offered to the high school students, produces a weekly student news show for the Stanbridge community. From filming events and writing news stories to arranging interviews and reading the news on camera, students in the class take on all roles of the news-making process.

“I’m very proud of what the students have accomplished so far. John Barnett and I try to empower the students to do the majority of the work themselves, and we only step in when they need additional support. It truly is a student-produced news show,” said Allison St. John, one of the Broadcasting teachers.

Both John and Allison came up with the idea for a video broadcasting class in 2015. Allison taught Broadcasting last year, and this year both Allison and John co-teach this elective because of the popularity of the class.

“Students enjoy seeing what’s going on at Stanbridge, and videos help to show, not just tell, our collective Stanbridge story,” said John.

Students in the class enjoy seeing themselves on camera and being a part of the production process.

“I really liked filming the history of Martin Luther King Day story,” said a freshman Broadcasting student.

-Allison St. John, High School Teacher

All episodes of Stanbridge Student News are posted on Stanbridge Academy’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

The Social Learning Program at Stanbridge Academy aims to foster the development of critical skills needed for social and academic success. This includes the development of emotional awareness and self-regulation, perspective taking, social communication, problem solving, and executive functioning. Our program integrates vocabulary, concepts, and strategies from a variety of sources including Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking methodology and Leah M. Kuyper’s Zones of Regulation curriculum.

During weekly social learning lessons, our speech and language pathologist and school counselors push into every classroom. In these lessons, students break down the complexities of the social world and learn strategies for how to navigate it. Teachers participate in these lessons so that they can support the generalization of the vocabulary and concepts throughout the school day.

Currently, students across all divisions continue to practice recognizing and responding to their own and others’ emotions using the Zones of Regulation curriculum, group discussion, and analysis of photos and popular media. As a school, we practice mindfulness and explore many tools and strategies to help manage feelings in an adaptive and pro-social manner.

The culmination of learning is the application of conceptual knowledge to real-world situations. At Stanbridge Academy, we understand the importance of connecting our academic and social-emotional curricula to the lived experience of our students. Experiential learning at Stanbridge happens in our classrooms, around our community, and on overnight trips at all grade levels.

In the classroom, abstract ideas become concrete experience when students work with their hands, their minds, and their peers to complete a project. One exciting example of this type of work happens in high school English, where the work of William Shakespeare comes to life each February with an original adaptation of a play. Students begin with a reading of the text, followed by a screening of a film adaptation, and a live performance from the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. They adapt the themes and plot lines to a modern context and write a screenplay. With actors, directors, and crew assembled from the student body, a film is produced and presented to the school. This project has become a tradition at Stanbridge, and students look to past films as inspiration for their original work. This year’s adaptations of Twelfth Night can be viewed on Stanbridge’s YouTube page. This experience, and others like it across the campus, cultivate a sense of accomplishment, a joy of learning, and deep understanding.

Since the founding of Stanbridge, our students have traveled beyond the campus and away from the comforts of home on “experiential trips” with their teachers and classmates. These trips strengthen the bonds between teachers and students and promote independence. In these new contexts, students uncover skills that are not always evident in the classroom and build confidence as they accomplish new things. Parents and graduates alike remember these trips as some of the most meaningful experiences of their time at Stanbridge.

-Matt Poynter, Principal

Spring 2017 Experiential Learning Trips

High School Juniors and Seniors: D.C.Sunday, March 5 - Friday, March 10 Sophomores and Freshmen: Sonoma CoastMonday, March 13- Wednesday, March 15

Students in Allison's 10th Grade Applied English class are working on improving their self-advocacy skills. This includes learning about life skills that are important for transitioning into adulthood. One skill that students expressed interest in practicing was laundry.

In the classroom, students applied their English skills by using a KWL Chart to guide them in doing online research on doing laundry. First, students wrote down what they already KNEW, what they WANTED to know, and—after doing some research—what they LEARNED. Click here to view one student’s chart!​Students then brought in towels from home and walked to a local laundromat to practice washing, drying, and folding a load of laundry.

"My favorite part was putting a dollar bill in the coin machine and getting quarters for the washer and dryer," a sophomore student said.

Applied English is a new course offering this year.

“The high school English department wanted to offer a program that provides students with opportunities to improve their functional literacy skills to prepare for transition,” said Allison. “Stanbridge already offers the Bridges class for seniors and some juniors, but John Barnett and I felt that we were better serving some of our students by focusing less on Shakespeare and more on functional English skills that build year-to-year.”

10th Grade Applied English focuses on advocacy.

“Students are learning how to become their own advocate and identify and research the things they want to learn about—such as laundry—that will benefit them in the future,” said Allison. “The end of the year goal is for students to have a sense of their strengths and weaknesses, and how to advocate for support when needed.”

The Transitions Program at Stanbridge Academy is offering an array of events for students and parents exploring postsecondary options. The Transition Event Series includes a variety of different informational programs and workshops to help students and families prepare for the transition from high school to adulthood and increased independence. In addition to the Transitions Fair and Alumni Panel, which have been offered in years past, this year Stanbridge hosted a Professional Panel, an alumni speaker, and more.Professional Panel—November 9th, 2016“Designed for parents, professionals, and other adults, the November 9th panel focused on key logistical and practical considerations essential for every student’s future; considerations that are critical for each young adult regardless of what specific postsecondary path he or she may take,” said Director of Transition Mary Hurlbut.The panel consisted of four experts including a lawyer, financial advisor, advocate/public benefits consultant, and psychologist. In 20 minute presentations, each speaker shared information about topics to consider in designing a secure and sustainable adulthood for individuals with autism or other special needs. Topics included conservatorship and financial planning, assessment for and accommodations in the workplace, engaging adult support services, and adult residential options.“It was apparent that a lot of parents were seeking guidance on these topics,” said Mary. “By engaging experts, the parents received very pointed and specific information. Parents now have contacts whom they can seek to engage for further support as necessary.”While each topic was carefully considered, information about how to engage public services and benefits for adults with disabilities was of particular interest. Accordingly, by parent request and popular demand, panelist and public benefits consultant Jim Huyck will return in March 2017—date TBD. Informed by extensive knowledge and experience (which includes serving as a former regional center director for the Department of Rehabilitation), Jim will speak to parents and other adults in further detail about services available and how to engage supports. The Transitions Program at Stanbridge Academy website will be updated with date and time information when it becomes available.A LiveStream was available for those who couldn’t attend the panel in person; a recording can be found here. Copies of the presenters’ PowerPoint presentations are available here. Transitions Fair—October 20, 2016The Transitions Fair took place in October and was attended by 16 different postsecondary programs, more than any other year previous. “The Transitions Fair gives students, parents, and members of the broader community the opportunity to learn about postsecondary programs related to education, work, residential, and employment opportunities,” said Mary. Program representatives answered student and parent questions at booths before presenting to the entire audience about the specific services and supports provided by their specific postsecondary programs. “The fair was extremely informative and provided easy access to speak with the individual schools and programs to ask personalized questions,” said Stanbridge Parent Gaby Rojas. “It covered all the areas that I wanted to see and gave me a platform to think and plan for my son’s future.”Information about the postsecondary programs that presented at the October 2016 Transitions Fair are also available online.“I thought the fair was great! It really helped me think about my future,” said one sophomore student. “I’m still pretty young so I haven’t decided yet, but it’s never too early to start thinking about what options are out there.”Alumni Speaker Jonathan Murphy—December 2, 2016Alumni Speaker Jonathan Murphy also helped students think about their futures. Jonathan, who is a successful voice actor and content creator, visited on December 2nd to share his story with current high school students. “Stanbridge helped crack the shell that I had built up around [myself],” said Jonathan as he explained his transformation from shy middle schooler to outgoing high school senior.Inspiring the audience with clever and comical voice impersonations, Jonathan encouraged the students to “engage [their] support networks” and to “just keep going, even if you don’t know where you are going.” Jonathan will return to Stanbridge in January as part of the next event in the Transition Event Series lineup: the Alumni Panel.Alumni Panel—January 12, 2017The Stanbridge Academy 2017 Alumni Panel will take place Thursday, January 12th from 1-3pm in Hayden Hall. “The stories that alumni share during the alumni panel help current students imagine broader possibilities that fit their own unique and evolving personal interests and inclinations,” said Mary.All Stanbridge High School students will be in attendance. Parents, alumni families, and other community members are also welcome to attend the Alumni Panel in order to learn more about how Stanbridge supports students in seeking personally fulfilling paths. “Alumni advice and testimonies support our students in recognizing that there are as many unique paths as people; alumni stories help to illustrate that every path has bumps in the road,” said Mary. “Mistakes or unexpected outcomes are a normal part of the path toward becoming (and being) an adult.”

If you are interested in attending or presenting at the Alumni Panel, contact Mary. Participating alumni are invited to a special alumni lunch immediately prior to the panel, from 12-1pm. Join us to connect with fellow alumni and reconnect with old friends! ​

“We are excited to meet the hands-on needs of our students with these new classes,” said Head of High School Jay Huston. “As the world gets more digitized, it's important for schools to keep learning tangible, and that's exactly what these classes do.”

New courses for the 2016-2017 academic year include Agriculture, Physical Concepts, and Systems of the Human Body. All of the courses focus on project-based, experiential learning.

“More than just gardening, this class will be working the land to develop the soil, harvest rainwater, and—ultimately—grow food,” said Agriculture Teacher Aaron Carter. “It will take some time, but we're actually not starting from zero. Our school compost is maturing as we speak.”

At the moment, students are installing a drainage system and clearing out years of overgrowth and neglect.

“I like that we get out of the classroom and get fresh air,” said a high school senior. “I also like learning to use all the new tools, especially the pick axe!”

Students are also stepping out of the classroom in Physical Concepts.

“We made an eight-foot tall pulley system in the back alley that can lift hundreds of pounds with only two students pulling,” said one student.

In this class, students test basic laws of physics after building models, systems, and machines that demonstrate the lesson at hand. Currently, students are learning about how the relationship between weight and distance from a fulcrum determines leverage.

“We’re learning about mathematical concepts in a fun way,” said a high school senior, “...and we’re using what we learn to make a frog-launcher for the Halloween carnival.”

In Systems of the Human Body, students will learn about the interconnectedness of the many systems that keep us alive and make us thrive.

“This class is a more hands-on approach to learning the basic concepts of biology and anatomy,” said Jay, who teaches the course. “From fitness tests to investigating animal bones to dissection activities, we are going to look at all parts of this amazing machine we call our body.”

Right now, students are finishing up a unit on bones.

“I like learning about how bones are alive and support the human form,” said a freshman student in the class. “If I didn’t have bones, I’d be like a squid or a puddle.”

This year, Stanbridge Academy decided to revise its school-wide behavior plan and premier a brand new Star Sheet for tracking student goal progress.

“Looking at the system with our behavioral consultant, Steven Forth, it was decided that simplifying it would lower student anxiety and provide clarity for teachers and parents/guardians,” said Director of Counseling Mary Stadler.

Changes include removing the Zones of Regulation color codes from the Star Sheets, adding a school-wide goal upon which all students across divisions focus for a period of time, and adding one or two personalized goals.

“The new star sheet is much better than the one last year,” said a high school senior. “It’s more basic, less complex. Because there are fewer goals, it’s easier to concentrate on them.”

As with the previous system, each student carries Star Sheet each week for tracking his or her goal progress. As goals are met, the students receive points and—for students in kindergarten through 8th grade—those points are converted to Stanbucks. Stanbucks can then be exchanged for prizes at the Stanbuck Store.

“The Stanbridge Store teaches students about everything from math and self-advocacy to delayed-gratification and social skills,” said Counselor—and Stanbuck Store Cashier—James Warren.

Stanbucks are paid out on Friday mornings, just before the opening of the Stanbuck Store. Students may either spend their Stanbucks immediately or save them for more expensive items.

“I actually really like this better than the old system,” said a junior high student. “I like the positive reinforcement instead of having the negative reinforcement hanging over my head.”

Despite the array of prizes available at the Stanbuck Store, high school students will not participate in the Stanbuck system this year.

“The Stanbuck Store prizes weren’t inspiring the high school students, and they didn't care about STAR sheets,” said Head of High School Jay Huston.

To create a more effective incentive plan, high school introduced a new program where each student chooses his or her own reward. It is then determined by the student and his or her advisor how many points it will take to earn that reward. Popular requests include Gatorade sports drinks ( approximately 100 points) and Amazon gift cards, although some students requests are more unique.

“We decided to pool our points and as a reward we get a pizza party for our whole advisory,” said two high school seniors in John Barnett’s advisory. “This system is much better than the old one, because we each get to choose what we want.”

When I was in preschool I moved from California to China and attended a bilingual school. In kindergarten I was playful. But in my old school in China, each class had one Chinese speaking teacher and one English speaking teacher, which helped me improve both my Chinese and English skills. However, each class had 32 students making it overcrowded and difficult to find friends. Also, at my old school, homework was very overwhelming, I often had to stay up until midnight with my parents to finish it. To find a better learning environment, I transferred from Shanghai to Stanbridge Academy in the sixth grade. Before coming to Stanbridge I was so shy and stressed that I would not talk to anyone at school. The first time I visited, Susan give me a tour of the upper elementary classrooms. I was surprised by how close and friendly people were. They called each other by first names, even the teachers, and also knew a lot about each other. My parents decided to let me shadow at the school for a day. Then, in the summer of 2008, I attended a mask making summer camp with Camille and an explore the bay area camp with Mark. The teachers and the students were all very kind. At Stanbridge, I made so many friends that I think of the school as my second family. I also become an athlete and a creative thinker. I had fun with my new classmates. I love the Stanbridge community and I’m glad that my parents to send me here.

At Stanbridge, I am influenced to be creative, to be an explorer, to be comical and to be a learner. Stanbridge taught me how to go camping, how to be independent, and how to take public transportation. Having Camille as an art teacher influenced me to express myself with art. All the art experiences I’ve had with her taught me about color and patience. I really enjoyed being on the yearbook design team. On experiential trips, teacher chaperones would often encourage us to go out of our comfort zones. During the Aptos Wolf School trip during my sophomore year, I was nervous to go on the flying squirrel rope course. But after cheers and motivation from my classmate and teachers, I was not afraid anymore. Additionally my teachers at Stanbridge understood my situation and helped me overcome my speech barriers. They coached me to speak loudly or repeat sentences.

Kari also helped me with my articulation and social skills. Over the years, my confidence has grown, and I have become more expressive and sociable. I speak with self assurance in class and often advocate for myself. I was even chosen as the Freshman representative from teachers and got elected for student government secretary twice. This also encouraged me to participate an internship at Zennioptical. I also enjoyed all the community service activities that I participated over the month.

I’d like to thank my dad, all of my teachers, and my classmates who all helped me to achieve my goals. Thank you Jay for teaching me science. Allison for teaching me how to use grammar over the years. Matt for being my funny math teacher. Mark for teaching me all the nuts and bolts of sports. Maureen for teaching me, you are a great teacher. My dad for helping me to get into my dream schools. Miss Alex and Jay for convincing me to draw a blackbird at the talent show during my Sophomore year. Erik for coaching me in hockey. I would especially like to thank Ali for giving me the definition and pronunciation of every word I did not know in class and the air guitar playing Jace for being my friend. I am also thankful for my sister who assisted me with my college application, my mom who helped me find a school, and my grandma who motivated me to get through every problem I faced. You are one in a Minion.​Next year I am going to St Mary’s college, a four year school in Moraga. I will be living in a dorm next year and will learn how to become more independent. I hope to continue my studying art in college so I can fulfill my dream of leaving my brushmark on the world.

Before I came to Stanbridge Academy. I was at a school called Chaddock. Chaddock did not help me with all my educational needs. For example, the math teacher covered concepts too quickly. Because the pace was too fast for me, I struggled to keep up and fell behind. The school did not give me an accommodation to listen to music when I worked, which helps me to concentrate.

I transferred to Stanbridge as a sophomore, and since then I have learned many life skills. I know how to fill out a job application, how to be more patient, how to make furniture out of wood and improve my carpentry skills, and how to solve problems in different ways.

At Stanbridge I’ve been able to go on a number of memorable trips. One of my favorite field trips is the Close Up Washington, DC trip in 2015. My favorite parts about the trip includes seeing all the monuments with my classmates, sightseeing around the capital, and going to the Smithsonian museums with the teachers. Another one of my favorite field trips is the Web of life experiential trip at the Wolf School in Aptos. We did team building activities, we played volleyball, and I came away with new friendships and a lot of good memories.

I have learned even more social skills than I knew before I came to Stanbridge, and this is due to the many people who have helped me on my journey so far. I’d like to thank my parents and my grandparents for supporting me. Thank you John Barnett, Allison St. John, Jay Huston, and many other staff members who have helped me on my journey. I’m hoping to get a full-time job soon, and I’m leaving Stanbridge confident of my future.

​When Daniel entered middle school, learning in a general education classroom was getting more challenging. There were no special education classrooms available to him because he learned at grade level. He worked very hard outside of school to maintain his grades and comprehend what he was learning, but the demands were getting too high for a 12-year-old boy with autism, and the general education classroom was not working.

“In 2010, I started Stanbridge as a 7th grader. Before Stanbridge, I had been to three other schools. I was easily overwhelmed in general education classrooms. I felt as if too much information was coming at me at once from all directions. Even with specialized support, I felt exhausted and overwhelmed. Coming to Stanbridge I found smaller, quieter classrooms where the teachers could give me more attention.Ever since I came to Stanbridge, my ability to problem solve and think flexibly has grown. I am able to advocate for myself now. All my teachers focused on my abilities and pointed them out to me. I am thankful for having teachers that think outside the box with me!”-Daniel

​Daniel needed teachers who understood how autism impacted his information processing and executive functioning abilities. This would allow him to gain access to the grade level curriculum, feel challenged and understood. We have continued to be impressed by the staff and teachers at Stanbridge throughout Daniel’s six years here.

In a family, when one person is struggling daily it impacts the whole family daily. Once Daniel worked through his transition to Stanbridge, everyone in our family felt happier. Nothing improves your family’s overall quality of life more than to have your children attending the right school with the right teachers.

After his high school graduation, Daniel will attend West Valley College. He plans to study computer animation and engineering. He plans to transfer to a four-year university after completing his AS-T degree. Most importantly, he is motivated to continue learning and will leave Stanbridge as a confident, capable, and happy college student!

​We began to realize things we not typical with Mia socially or academically early in kindergarten. Dropping her at school was agonizing for her and for our family. She was lost, confused, teased and would have serious meltdowns almost daily.

After being moved by the school district for the third time in three years to a special day class, we were done. I knew the current school situation was only adding to her anxiety and depression though she was only in second grade! I began searching online for hours on end and, after visiting a couple schools, we found Stanbridge and have never looked back!

School life for her now is safe and comfortable. Just knowing that when she leaves for school she will be cared for, cared about, listened to and have relationships with friends is all we ever hoped for. Stanbridge has exceeded our expectations in all of these areas. Mia will continue to struggle and be behind her peers academically, but socially she has blossomed into a super social, empathetic girl. It's sounds cliché, but the kids and staff “get her,” and she is thriving with them.

Stanbridge Academy is a caring, inclusive K-12 school for students with mild to moderate learning differences and social communication disorders. We use an individualized, whole student approach so that students thrive and develop their academic, social, and emotional capabilities to their fullest potential.